peakoffpeak

Peak and off-peak describe periods of relatively high and low demand for a service. They are used in pricing, scheduling, and capacity management to influence consumer behavior and grid reliability. The distinction is most common in electricity tariffs but appears in telecommunications, transport, and other utilities.

In electricity, peak periods occur when demand is highest, typically weekday afternoons and early evenings on hot or cold days. Off-peak times are the opposite. Utilities may offer time-of-use TOU rates, enabling cheaper electricity during off-peak hours and more expensive during peak. Some markets include additional designations such as super off-peak or shoulder periods. Tariffs vary by country, season, and utility, and customers may be incentivized to shift appliance use or EV charging.

Beyond power, peak/off-peak is used in telecom networks: higher data traffic during business hours or evenings, with providers offering off-peak pricing or allowances to ease congestion. Data centers, transport, and cloud services may use scheduling windows for backups or maintenance.

Measurement and implementation rely on metering and billing rules defined by regulators; the times are clock-defined rather than weather-based, though some programs adjust for seasonality or declared peak days. The concept aims to balance supply and demand, reduce peak load, improve reliability, and encourage energy efficiency.